Why do we believe Spam

Spam definition – irrelevant or unsolicited messages sent over the Internet, or phone typically to large numbers of users, for the purposes of advertising, phishing, spreading malware, etc.

The key thing I want to discuss in this blog is unsolicited advertising.

Every day of the week I receive an email or several from someone random telling me they could make my website rank better. They could get me to page one on Google; they can guarantee me all manner of things. Their email address is usually just a Gmail account, sometimes it is a business and often the English and grammar is great.

I receive these amongst the latest ones, which are unpaid accounts, and unable to be delivered parcels, prizes and banks needing my details. Fortunately, most go straight to my spam account and I can go through and laugh at them. Let’s not forget the pretty ladies who are waiting to meet or the billions of dollars waiting for me to inherit.

Now – In Australia we have very strict and specific laws about SPAM – Here are the key elements of the Spam Act 2003

Basically, if you have not interacted with a company or individual in some way they should not be sending you anything.

So with this rule applied “If you don’t know of the sender, it is SPAM”. Then it is easy to know what to exclude from your inbox. Remember too that the banks won’t contact you via email to confirm your details, so exclude them too. If you are unsure just never click a link in an email, go to the bank directly.

Often I have clients asking me what I think and I always reply with the simple and straight response – It is Spam!

Being SPAM means that you cannot trust the message, no matter what it says or what it promises. You should never reply to it.

Believers

The main reason we believe it is that it sometimes strikes a chord with where we are right now:

Looking for love

Looking for more clients

Looking for money

Etc.

It is these things teamed up with the guarantees of success that make Spam believable and can catch us off guard. There have been endless articles and reports on the media of people being caught out by these emails – don’t do it.

No one giving you guarantees in regard to your advertising, SEO or anything can keep up their end of the deal and they are breaking Australian Law just by contacting you. The law is there to protect vulnerable people/business who may believe the emails.

Remember this rule -“If you don’t know of the sender, it is SPAM”. Bank emails will not need you to confirm your details, don’t click any links, and contact them directly.